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Henry Francis Lyte
Rev. Henry Francis Lyte (1 June 1793 - 20 November 1847) was an Anglican divine, and a Scottish poet and hymnist. Life Overview Lyte was born at Ednam, near Kelso, of an ancient Somersetshire family, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He took orders, and was incumbent of Lower Brixham, Devonshire. He published Poems: Chiefly religious, 1833. He is chiefly remembered for his hymns, one of which, "Abide with Me," is universally known and loved.John William Cousin, "Lyte, Henry Francis," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1910, 247. Wikisource, Web, Feb. 7, 2018. Youth and education Lyte was born at Ednam, near Kelso, Roxburghshire, the 2nd son of Captain Thomas Lyte. He was educated at Portora (the royal school of Enniskillen) in Ireland, and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he became a scholar in 1813, and competed successfully for 3 prize poems in 3 successive years.Hadden, 365. Career Abandoning an intention of entering the medical profession, Lyte took holy orders, and in 1815 he was made curate of Taghmon, near Wexford. Ill-health led him to resign this post, and after a visit to the continent he went to Marazion, Cornwall, where he married Anne, daughter and eventual heiress of the Rev. W. Maxwell, D.D. of Falkland, co. Monaghan (who wrote the 24th chapter of Boswell's Life of Johnson). Subsequently he held the curacies of Lymington, Hampshire, where much of his verse was written, and of Charlton, Devonshire. At Lower Brixham he labored for 25 years in charge of a new parish. His health compelled him to make frequent foreign tours. He died on 20 Nov. 1847 at Nice, where his grave, in the English cemetery, is marked by a marble cross. Writing Hymns Lyte is chiefly remembered for his hymns. The best known are: "Abide with me, fast falls the eventide," and "Pleasant are Thy courts above;" but others, like "Far from my heavenly home," "Jesus, I my cross have taken," and "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven," are of acknowledged excellence. All these appear in most hymnals.Hadden 366. Some of his hymns were originally published by him in his Poems chiefly Religious (London, 1833); others in his Spirit of the Psalms, a metrical version of the Psalter (London, 1834), which passed through several editions. 20th-century hymnologist Erik Routley referred to the "much-loved H.R. Lyte" who "though scriptural and evangelical in his emphases, always writes good literature and is rarely deserted by an exquisite lyric gift. Perhaps the centrally 'romantic' hymn of all hymns is the intensely personal yet, as it has proved, wholly universal hymn, 'Abide with me.'"Erik Routley, A Panorama of Christian Hymnody (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1979), 45. Poetry 2 of Lyte's secular poems — "On a Naval Officer" and "The Poet's Plea" — are remarkable for their true poetic feeling. The earliest volume of Lyte's poems, Tales in Verse, written at Lymington, appeared in 1826, and reached a 2nd edition. Wilson, reviewing this book in the "Noctes Ambrosianæ," justly characterised Lyte's verse as "the right kind of religious poetry." A volume of Remains, consisting of poems, sermons, and letters, with a prefatory memoir by his daughter, was published in London in 1850; and the verse in this and in Poems: Chiefly religious was reprinted under the title of Miscellaneous Poems, London, 1868. Lyte also wrote the appreciative "Biographical Sketch of Henry Vaughan," prefixed to the latter's Sacred Poems, London, 1847. Recognition Leon Litvack wrote in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography that although Lyte's "poetic energies were directed at scripturally and evangelically minded audiences, his lyric gift was universally appreciated. The example of ‘Abide with me’ is instructive: intensely personal and contemplative, yet nationally popular — even being sung (always, after its publication in 1861, to W.H. Monk;s tune, "Eventide") on secular occasions such as at football matches, and especially, since 1927, at the English cup final." . Lyte's poem "On a Naval Officer" was set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. A portrait of Lyte by John King (1788–1847) was engraved by George Henry Phillips. Publications Poetry *''Tales in Verse: Illustrative of the several petitions of the Lord's Prayer. London: Marsh & Miller, 1829. *Poems, Chiefly Religious. London: J. Nesbit & W. Marsh, 1833; London: W. Pickering, 1845. *''Spirit of the Psalms; or, The Psalms of David adapted to Christian worship. London, Rivington, Hatchard, Seely, and Nisbit, 1834. *''Miscellaneous Poems. London & Oxford, UK: Rivingtons, 1868. Non-fiction *"Biographical sketch of Henry Vaughan" in ''Silex Scintillans, etc.; sacred poems and pious ejaculations of Henry Vaughan. London: W. Pickering, 1847. **published in U.S. as The Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations of Henry Vaughan. Boston: Little, Brown / New York: Evans & Dickerson, 1854. Collected editions *''Remains'' (edited by Anna Maria Maxwell Hogg). London: Francis & John Rivington, 1850. *''Poetical Works'' (edited by John Appleyard). London: E. Stock, 1907. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Henry Francis Lyte, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Sep. 23, 2013. See also * List of British poets * List of English-language hymnists References * . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 7, 2018. Notes External links ;Poems *Lyte in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "Abide with Me," "Lo, We Have Left All," "The Secret Place" *Selected Poetry of Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) (4 lyrics) at Representative Poetry Online. *Henry Francis Lyte at PoemHunter (16 poems) *Henry Francis Lyte at Hymntime *Henry Francis Lyte at Hymnary (profile & 175 hymns) ;Audio / video *Henry Francis Lyte at YouTube ;About *Lyte, Henry Francis in the [[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]] * Lyte, Henry Francis Category:1793 births Category:1847 deaths Category:Deaths from tuberculosis Category:Scottish poets Category:Christian hymnwriters Category:Old Portorans Category:Scottish Episcopalians Category:Anglican priests Category:Scottish hymnwriters Category:Infectious disease deaths in France Category:Hymnists Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Christian poets